The present invention relates to aircraft and more particularly to wing tip devices for use on an aircraft.
The use of wing tip devices, such as winglets and fences, on aircraft is well known. Such devices seek to improve the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft, in particular by reducing drag and increasing lift.
The increase in lift can lead to significant increases in the wing root bending moment. The maximum bending moment to which a wing is expected to be subjected is likely to dictate the required strength of the wing. This in turn may dictate the weight of the wing. Thus, the gains in aerodynamic performance attained by adding a wing tip device have, in aircraft designs of the prior art, tended to be offset by an increase in the structural mass of the aircraft required to cope with the increased wing loading.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an aircraft that is able to benefit from at least some of the improved aerodynamic performance associated with a wing tip device, without incurring too great an increase in the bending moment in the wing.